


Adopting Strays

by SoldierThirstClass (HardNoctLife)



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Conversations, Day Off, F/M, Fluff, Slice of Life, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:13:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26340058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HardNoctLife/pseuds/SoldierThirstClass
Summary: “No.”She stopped, lips pursing as she turned around to pull two clean mugs from off the shelf. He saw the way her shoulders sagged, and his heart squeezed.“You remember what happened last time,” he pointed out, unsure why he felt like he was the one in the wrong here.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 10
Kudos: 63





	Adopting Strays

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for my application to The Cloti Zine: "Because I Have You". Check them out on twitter: [@theclotizine](https://twitter.com/theclotizine?s=21)

The early morning streets of Edge radiated a thick quiet. No growl of car engines, no children screaming, and no street vendors hawking their wares. Seventh Heaven sat sleeping, its ‘Open’ sign flipped to ‘Closed,’ when a sleek black motorcycle glided to a stop in front of it. 

Cloud dismounted, noting the darkening sky. It smelled like rain, but thankfully he and Tifa had agreed: no deliveries on Sundays. 

He strolled around the building to the side door, his footsteps uncharacteristically loud in the silence, and slid the key in the lock, pausing when he noticed an empty food bowl next to the welcome mat. 

Not giving it a second thought, he opened the door, allowing his eyes a moment to adjust to the dimly lit room before pressing forward to sit at the bar counter.

“Hey, it’s me,” he called out, setting his bag and sword against the wall before sliding onto a stool. 

There was a shuffling from upstairs, then the slapping of bare feet on hardwood. When Tifa appeared in the doorway in a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, he blinked as if the lights had turned on suddenly. 

No matter how many times he saw her, she struck him like sunshine on a cloudy day.

“You’re not dressed?” He didn’t mean for it to sound like an accusation, but Tifa merely smiled as she wandered over, combing hands through her hair, still damp from a recent shower. Cloud could smell her shampoo, a familiar scent that he couldn’t name. 

“I decided against it,” she answered cryptically. “Coffee?” She was already going behind the bar to turn the coffee maker on when Cloud nodded.

He watched her while she worked, listening to the whir of the grinder and the song she hummed under her breath. 

“You’re in a good mood.” 

He placed his elbows on the counter, allowing himself to smile. Already, the room felt a little brighter. Outside, the gentle pitter-patter of rain sounded. It looked like he had made it back just in time.

Tifa was scooping freshly ground coffee into a filter when she glanced over her shoulder. “I have a surprise for you,” she announced, turning to lean over the counter and grab his hands in hers. 

His eyes flitted down to them, then back up to her face, frowning slightly. “Am I going to like this surprise?” 

“I hope so!” Unfazed by his lack of excitement, Tifa laughed. The musical quality of it soothed the pinched skin between his eyes, and he sighed, already conceding defeat.

“It’s not another cat, is it?” Seeing her smile falter, he pulled back, arms crossing over his chest. “ _ Tifa _ .”

She pressed her hands together, pleading. “Marlene really wants to keep her, and—”

“We said no pets.”

“—but Cloud—”

“ _ No _ .” 

She stopped, lips pursing as she turned around to pull two clean mugs from off the shelf. He saw the way her shoulders sagged, and his heart squeezed.

“You remember what happened last time,” he pointed out, unsure why he felt like he was the one in the wrong here. 

“I know,” she exhaled loudly, sliding one of the mugs over to Cloud as they waited for the coffee to finish. “You’re right, I just thought...it might be nice, you know? For all of us.”

Hesitantly, Cloud unfolded his arms to grab the mug, fingers brushing over Tifa’s as he did. She glanced up at him from beneath her dark eyelashes in question. 

“...it’s a stray?” He tried not to sound too interested. He was just gathering more information about the situation—at least, that’s what he told himself.

“Marlene named her Lily.”

He closed his eyes, feeling a headache forming behind them. 

“She already named her?” 

“She rescued her,” Tifa explained, pride in her voice. “We’re not sure where its mother went off to, but it keeps coming back.” 

“You’re always taking in strays.” He said it mostly to himself, knowing that he was no better. 

Cloud felt steam caress his face as Tifa poured coffee into the mug in his hands, warmth crawling through his fingers and up his arms. Opening his eyes, he took a long, thoughtful sip. 

“Do you want to see a picture?” she asked, reaching in her pocket to retrieve her phone. The photo was on the screen before Cloud had time to set his coffee down, a picture of Marlene and Denzel holding a calico kitten between them that barely filled their cupped hands, broad smiles on both of their faces. 

Cloud stared, listening as the rain grew heavier outside. When he finally tore his eyes away from the screen, Tifa was watching him hopefully. 

“I think you’ll love her.”

Another ‘no’ died in Cloud’s throat when Tifa touched him again, this time squeezing his arm as her hair fell forward to frame her face, the smell of her shampoo intermingling with that of his coffee.

_ Flowers _ , he thought. That’s why it smelled so familiar.  _ Lilies. Of course.  _

“Lily, huh?” Slowly, he reached up to tuck one of the loose strands behind her ear, smiling when she leaned into the casual touch.

“She’s a big sweetheart.”

“Then I’ll love her,” he agreed quietly. 

“Thank you, Cloud,” she breathed. “It will mean a lot to the kids.” Seeing Tifa smile was worth the regret he was sure to feel later for caving in so easily. 

“Are you hungry? I can whip up some breakfast.” 

Her good mood had returned, and she tossed her hair to one side as she ducked down to rummage in the cabinets. Cloud could still feel the warmth from her skin and the coffee steam pulsing in his hand. 

“Sure. Need any help?”

“Nope! It’s your day off, I’ve got this,” she assured him, reappearing with a frying pan in hand. 

“It’s your day off, too,” he pointed out, but let her have her way. Strangely enough, giving in to her made him feel better than expected. 

Cloud sipped his coffee and settled back on his stool. 

He had nowhere to be.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Twitter @HardNoctLife (main) or @SLDRThirstClass (FFVII only)


End file.
